Neuro Shelf Flashcards
26 yo female patient presents with altered mentation, focal cranial nerve deficits, hemiparesis, seizures, aphasia, ataxia, and fever
HSV-1 encephalitis
What are some symptoms of herpes encephalitis?
- altered mentation
- focal cranial nerve
- hemiparesis
- dysphasia
- aphasia
- ataxia
- focal seizures
- FEVER
- seizures
What lobe does herpes encephalitis attack?
temporal
treatment of choice for herpes encephalitis?
IV acyclovir
CSF characteristics of herpes encephalitis
- lymphocytosis
- increased erythrocytes
- elevated protein levels
- low CSF glucose levels
What does imaging show in herpes encephalitis?
temporal lobe lesions- use MRI
what is the gold standard for diagnosis of herpes encephalitis?
PCR analysis of HSV DNA in the CSF
What is the hallmark sign of myasthenia gravis?
resolution of muscular weakness with rest
What is acute steroid myopathy and how soon does it occur?
- occurs w/in 1 week of drug initiation and
- diffuse muscle weakness and rhabdpmyolysis
- pts present w proximal mm weakness, difficulty rising from chair, combing hair, climbing stairs
Symptoms ofpolymyalgia rheumatica?
- seen in 50% of patients with temporal arteritis
- present with aching and morning stiffness, pain in shoulders, hip girdle, and neck
- increased ESR
- sx improve w steroids
What are some typical causes of vestibulopathy?
- Meniere’s disease
- perilymphatic fistulas
- benign positional vertigo
- labrynthitis
- acoustic neuromas
what is anisocoria?
unequal size of the eys oupils
what nerve lesion results in impaired corneal sensation?
Trigeminal Nerve- V1 specifically
What might you find on CT scans of pts w alzheimers dementia?
- cortical and subcortical arophy, specifically in the parietal and temporal lobes (hippocampi)
What are the clinical signs of cerebellar hemorrhage? What else would you see in a large hemorrhage?
- Acute onset
- Occipital headache
- repeated vomiting
- Gait ataxia
Large:
- 6th nerve palsy
- conjugate deviation
- blepharospasm
What are the clinical signs of cerebellar hemorrhage? What else would you see in a large hemorrhage?
- Acute onset
- Occipital headache
- repeated vomiting
- Gait ataxia
Large:
- 6th nerve palsy
- conjugate deviation
- blepharospasm
What medication can slow the long-term progression of relapsing-remitting MS? what about progressive MS?
RR: IFN-beta
Progressive: immunosuppressive agents (cyclosporine, methrotrexate, mitoxantrone)
Areflexic weakness in the upper extremities + anesthesia (loss of pain and temp) with preserved position and vibration in a cape like distribution
syringomyelia
what is the pathology behind syringomyelia?
cavitary expansion of the spinal cord destroying gray and white matter adjacent to the central canal
What does neuroimaging show in Arnold-Chiari malformation?
caudal displacement of the fourth ventrical due to displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum
what are some risk factors for pseudotumor cerebri? aka idiopathic intracranial HTN
- Meds: corticosteroids, OCPs
- Trauma
- Obesity
What are some initial symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri? (aka IIH)
- pulsatile HA that usually awakens pt from sleep and is assoc with pulsatile tinnitus (whooshing sound in ears)
MRI reveals an empty sella tursica and slit like ventricles
pseudotumor cerebri
What is Dejerine Roussy syndrome?
- stroke involving the VPL nucleus of the thalamus which transmits sensory information from the contralateral side o the body
What is Dejerine Roussy syndrome?
- stroke involving the VPL nucleus of the thalamus
what is the clinical presentation of a VPL thalamic stroke?
- hemianesthesia accompanied by transient hemiparesis, athetosis or ballistic movements
- thalamic pain phenomenon: dysesthesia of the area affected by the sensory loss
what is the most significant complication of IIH?
blindness!
What are some characteristics of an MCA stroke?
- contralateral motor and/or sensory deficits that are more pronounced in the upper limb than the lower
- dominant lobe= aphasia, nondominant lobe= neglect and/or anosognosia
What are some characteristics of an MCA stroke?
- contralateral motor and/or sensory deficits that are more pronounced in the upper limb than the lower
- dominant lobe= aphasia, nondominant lobe= neglect and/or anosognosia
What is anosognosia?
deficit of self-awareness, don’t acknowledge that theres a neurologic problem
Chatacteristics of a PCA stroke?
homonymous hemianopia
- alexia (loses ability to read) without agraphia
- Visial hallucinations (calcarine cortex)
- sensory symptoms
- third nerve palsy w pareses of vertical eye mvmt
- motor deficits (cerebral peduncle, midbrain)
what is Amaurosis fugax??
Temporary monocular blindness
What are some syndromes of lacunar infarcts?
- pure motor hemiparesis
- pure sensory stroke
- dysarthria- clumsry hand
- ataxic hemiparesis
What is glatiramer acetate?
- tx for MS
- decreases disease frequency and severity of MS exacerbations
- induces suppressor T cells that downregulate the T cell mediated immune response to myelin antigens that underlies MS
What is the standard concoction for pts with confusion?
- Thiamine for Wernicke’s
- Dextrose for hypoglycemia
- Supplemental Oxygen for hypoxia
- Naloxone for opiate overdose
What injury to the brain occurs in prolonged seizures?
- cortical laminar necrosis: can lead to persistent neurologic deficits and recurrent seizures
What injury to the brain occurs in prolonged seizures?
- cortical laminar necrosis: can lead to persistent neurologic deficits and recurrent seizures
What are some characteristics of brain metastasis?
- duration of symptoms of less than 2 months
- occur in the gray-white junction or watershed zones
What are some characteristics of brain metastasis?
- duration of symptoms of less than 2 months
- occur in the gray-white junction or watershed zones
what is the pathogenesis of CN III neuropathy in diabetic mononeuropathy?
- ischemic! but only of somatic fibers bc somatic and parasympathetic fibers have separate blood supplies
- this leads to down and out gaze
young patient + myoclonus + dementia
CJD
young patient + myoclonus + dementia
CJD
what is anisocoria?
unequal pupils
Visual field defects usually means a problem with what?
the retina or optic nerve (pre-chiasm)
What is RAPD?
marcus gunn pupil- pupil doesn’t constrict to direct light but constricts to direct accommodation
where do CN II fibers synapse?
pretectal midbrain nuclei aka the Edinger-Westphal nuclei in the rostral portion of the third nerve nucleus
What are the characteristics of a third nerve palsy?
- ptosis
- dilated pupil
- ophthalmoplegia
eye is down and out
What are the characteristics of a third nerve palsy?
- ptosis
- dilated pupil
- ophthalmoplegia
What is Adie’s pupil? How do you confirm it?
- a tonic pupil that results from interruption of the PSNS supply from the ciliary ganglion
Sx =
1. Anisocoria
2. Photophobia
3. Blurred near vision
-Confirmed via 0.1% pilocarpine which will produce more contraction in the affected pupil than in the normal pupil
What is Adie’s pupil? How do you confirm it?
- a tonic pupil that results from interruption of the PSNS supply from the ciliary ganglion
Sx =
1. Anisocoria
2. Photophobia
3. Blurred near vision
-Confirmed via 0.1% pilocarpine which will produce more contraction in the affected pupil than in the normal pupil
Sudden painless vision loss in HTN and DBM pt >50
Anterior ischemic optic neurpathy (AION)
What is the etiology of AION?
vascular: carotid occlusion, embolic TIAs
Inflammatory: temporal arteritis
what do you see on fundoscopic exam of AION?
unilateral segmental disc edema
what is Foster Kennedy syndrome?
Ipsilateral optic disc atrophy due to compression by a space occupying lesion in the frontal lobe and papilledema in the contralateral optic disc due to increased ICP
What is the treatment for IIH?
Acetazolamide
Nerve decompression
Shunt
What does fundoscopic exam show in drusens?
glistening hyaline bodies + VP
What does fundoscopic exam show in drusens?
glistening hyaline bodies + VP
What is Uhthoff’s phenomenon?
worsening visual function during exercise, hot baths, etc.
seen in optic neuritis- usually from MS
Central scotoma is classic for what?
Optic neuritis
what is phoria?
misalignment of the eyes when binocular vision is absent
what is tropia?
misalignment of the eyes when both eyes are opened and binocular vision is possible
what is strabismus?
misalignment of the eyes
lesion to CN IV causes what?
oblique diplopia- worse on downgaze when affected eye is adducted (pt complains of diplopia when reading or going down stairs)
What does the MLF connect specifically? what happens when there is a lesion to the right MLF?
the abducens nucleus with the contralateral third nerve
R MLF = inability to adduct the right eye in left lateral gaze plus nystagmus of the abducting left eye
What is one and a half syndrome?
Lesion to the PPRF, sixth nerve palsy, and adjacent ipsilateral MLF
- ipsilateral gaze palsy and INO on the contralateral side
Abnormal vertical gaze movements can be found in what syndromes?
Dorsal midbrain
What is parinaud syndrome?
- Upgaze disturbance,
- Convergence-retraction nystagmus on attempted upgaze
- Light near dissociation of the pupils
(usually produced by pineal tumor compressing the dorsal midbrain)
what are exotropia and esotropia?
exotropia = eyes turned outward (third nerve palsy) esotropia = eyes turned inward (abducens palsy)